Dog owners warned of threatened birds

Bird Life Australia has put up temporary fences and signs along a section of Warrnambool's coastline, to protect a threatened bird species nesting there.

At least three hooded plover chicks have been seen nesting on the beach between Point Ritchie and Granny's Grave.

Fewer than 600 of the birds remain in Victoria.

The Warrnambool City Council's sustainability officer, Kristyn Abbott, says pets and children should be kept away from the nests.

"We're concerned for their safety because the hooded plovers, unlike the other species of plovers, don't actively defend their nests," she said.

"Dogs can eat the eggs and also trample on the nests, so can children and people and horses, so it is quite important to keep away from the area.

"The hooded plovers have nested on the beach between Point Ritchie and Granny's Grave here in Warrnambool and it is unfortunately an off-leash area for dogs, so there's at least three chicks that have been sighted in the area."